How far would you go? (Currently Editing)

Sam

I hope you understand what is going on. Luke and I are the same. Luke is too weak to do anything, and he needs my help. People had to die. His friends had to die. They were no longer his friends when they betrayed him, and they deserved to die. I can hear you judging. Stop it. I thought you understood. You know why I'm doing this. It's for Luke. It's always been for Luke.

The hospital was busy, yet the toilet was eerily quiet. I stared into the mirror and wondered how this had happened. I had tried to keep this away from Luke and wanted to protect him. But he was working it out. The pieces are coming together, and Luke is finally seeing the man behind the mask. I'll let him tell you what's going on. He knows the truth, he just forgot it, believing I'd gone away. But I've always been here, resting, waiting for the time Luke needed me, and now he needs me.

I stopped smiling and brushed my hair back. It was Luke's time to rest and it was my time to finish what I had started. I was trying to hold back the rage at my own stupidity. I'd become too confident, that Russell had lived. I should have stayed behind to witness his decent into the murky river. I wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Russell would die and I would make sure of it. This time it felt different. I was in public view, visible to the world and I didn't like it. My role was to stay in the shadows, stay of out sight, and sort out Luke's mess. Today would be different. Today, I would be in full view. It scared me a little, but I had a job to do. I had to take this opportunity.

The water was cold as I splashed more over my face. The men's toilet was old and dirty, and I could hear the dripping water from a loose tap. Paper littered the floor and the bin overflowed with discarded waste. No one had cleaned up for a while, and I reflected on my recent visit to Alan as a janitor. That had been a successful trip. Alan had died as expected. Why did Russell live? It was annoying me, and I could feel the rush of adrenaline, and my heart rate start to increase. I loved that feeling. The excitement before the kill. It would be quick and then Luke could get on with his day.

The only problem was I couldn't leave the dark, dirty toilet. My feet were stuck to the ground. No matter how much I tried to move, my feet refused to turn, as if they had been glued to the brown tiles. Then I realised the problem and laughed aloud. Luke was fighting back. I could hear him, inside my head, pleading, begging for me to stop.
Normally, Luke would have been asleep, unaware that I was here, and I enjoyed the peace. Now, he would not stop yelling.
'You think you can stop me, do you?' I said mockingly into the mirror.
I was stronger than Luke, always had been. I'll give him credit for trying, but it's no good, I always win.

I laughed again, this time louder, and pulled my leg into the air, hoping to leave this depressing room. Ignoring his pleas, I lifted my left leg, fighting his attempts to stop me, when my kneecap smashed into the sink, sending a sharp pain down my leg.
'Ouch! Stupid!' I smashed my right hand into the mirror and the glass fragmented into a million pieces, some tumbling into the sink. That felt good. I was back in control.

Limping out toward the door, I looked back into the miserable room. My knee really hurt. Luke may have won that round, but that was the last time. He was not getting out, no matter how hard he tried. I had to sort out his mess and no one, not even Luke could stop me.

The hospital corridor was busy. Doctors, nurses, patients milled about, performing duties, talking to colleagues, or looking tired. Everyone looked tired. Doctors who had worked long shifts, hurried down the busy passageway, ready to help another patient. Nurses scuttled about, carry medicine, clipboards, or other medical equipment. It was a well-oiled machine, the staff performing their duties mechanically, orderly, and without any feeling. The only people that had any feelings, were the patients. An old man was complaining to a nurse, and nearby a young woman was crying. The nurse sighed and ushered the old man into a nearby room. Her face said it all. She couldn't care less and wanted to go home. The young woman was still crying, and no one paid her any attention. I wanted to go over and slap her, tell her to shut up and pull herself together. It wasn't the time, I had to stay focused and get to Russell.